Back To Reality

It's been a fun couple of weeks but I need to get back to my routine. Two 3-day dog show weekends, the long trip to Colorado, and having a house guest meant that my regular chores got set aside. The house doesn't look too bad, the yard can wait 'til the weather cools off, but the poor fish have been neglected - fed on schedule but no water changes. The three large barrels are full of water that is aging a bit, and the two with "doctored" water will be ready to use tonight. Epsom salts, marine salt and baking soda make the water better for my lifebearers and most of the cichlids.

First order of the day will be making a chiropractic appointment for Argus who is not moving quite like he should. I suspected a problem this weekend, but it took some moving shots from my friend Tom to show me there was indeed a problem that needed to be addressed. I know how it happens, but can do little to address it other than pleading with Ron to be careful when he sends the dogs out. They go racing off he deck, slipping and sliding, and hit the sidewalk at an angle, trying to be the first one into the yard in case there might be squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice or the neighbor's cat. It's not a pretty scene, Watson has twice hurt his right shoulder as well as his back, Josie has sprained her right back leg, Argus has hurt his right shoulder and back and Coral has hurt her back. None of the injuries have been serious (so far), most required only aspirin and rest, but a couple have required chiropractic visits. I could see from the picture that Argus was not moving with his back as level as it should have been, but I also noted that he was fussy about stacking yesterday, and another friend noticed that he was rocking back, which is something he has never done before. Seems as if he and I are in a self- destruct mode!

We are very proud of how well some of Argus's brownie kids did this weekend!! Charlie picked up 2 more points (but the major broke), Penny was BoS at the Specialty and Select the other two days for points toward her Grand Championship. Pauli had a Select and a Best of Breed, and out in the Pacific Northwest, Pauli's brother Krash won the Puget Sound Specialty and Best Of Breed at the all breed show the next day! Nice showing. The other Argus kids in this area showed very well, with Sam & Rita getting lots of compliments in Specials. That's Krash pictured on my blog today. He is owned and shown by a first time exhibitor Jordan, who finished him with two specialty majors - and now has a specialty win!